Filter sock cleanig dilemma

[WessB]

What method do you guys use to clean your filter socks????? For the longest time I was doing them in our everyday washing machine with just bleach and then 3 cycles with just water. It took a while to narrow it down but my skimmer would literally ERUPT, since we were feeding at the same time as changing the sock I always thought it was the food....NOT...It is defeinately caused by something residual in the cleaned socks. So I did a little research and it seemed that many were just soaking them in a bucket with bleach and rinsing......Well I just got done installing the first sock cleaned this way, soaked in bleach water for 24 hours, rinsed with fresh water MANY times, I even let em soak in tank water from a water change....bottom line, this method made the skimmer do a worse eruption than the washing machine ever did.....Can someone give me a method that is practical and will work....Thanks in advance.

Wess Breeden

[mburnickas]

good one. My filter socks (just ordered 25) and it makes my Aqua-C do the same thing. NOW, that beign stated all these are right out of the box. I have no wasked with bleech etc. My old one did the samething till I cleaned them (in bleech, rinse, rinse by hand and hang dry). I will let you know.

[rickh]

Filter socks are easy.
1. Turn the sock inside out and dump out any crud.
2. Hand wash it several time in warm water.
3. Soak it for 1 hour in 1/2 cup of bleach in 1/2 gallon of water.

4. Rinse it several times in fresh water.
5. Soak it over night in a food container with fresh water and two drops of aquarium dechlorinator.

I have used this technique for several years with out a problem. R

[BeanAnimal]

Originally posted by mburnickas
good one. My filter socks (just ordered 25) and it makes my Aqua-C do the same thing. NOW, that beign stated all these are right out of the box. I have no wasked with bleech etc. My old one did the samething till I cleaned them (in bleech, rinse, rinse by hand and hang dry). I will let you know.

You need to WASH THEM WELL before the initial use. Filter socks, like most things made with fabric, come with sizing on them. The sizing makes it easier to work with the fabric during sewing operations and also helps to keep stains from setting during production.

[BeanAnimal]

Originally posted by rickh
Filter socks are easy.
1. Turn the sock inside out and dump out any crud.
2. Hand wash it several time in warm water.
3. Soak it for 1 hour in 1/2 cup of bleach in 1/2 gallon of water.

4. Rinse it several times in fresh water.
5. Soak it over night in a food container with fresh water and two drops of aquarium dechlorinator.

I have used this technique for several years with out a problem. R

Or you could have several sets that you can rotate. Letting them completely dry will remove the chlorine and stop the eruptions

[McCrary]

I just throw mine in the washing machine without bleach or anything else. I don't use bleach because I don't want to deal with having to make sure that they have been properly dechlorinated. I am still wondering why people use bleach, its not like having the filter sock whiter is going to make it collect detritus better, lol.

[mburnickas]

I still use beach and have been since the 90's. It cleaned the fibers better then water.

[Atrus]

I wash my filter socks in a Washing machine using bleach and an extended rinse cycle. At times I have also noticed this enhanced skimmer activity.

As someone above mentioned, and I found out as well, allowing the filter sock to sit out and aerate for a day or two seems to allow the chlorine to evaporate from the sock and when I do this I don't have a problem.

Good Luck

[WessB]

Thanks for the replies so far....I have 10 socks that I rotate through, and I have always installed them after being dry for at least a couple of days, which confuses me about the dechlorinator. I will definately try the dechlorinator soak to see if it helps.

Wess

[reefkoi]

my skimmer only will go nuts if I ever put in a brand new sock without rinsing it first.
I use the bleach firat and then rinse with fresh water method and let them sit for a week while I use the other socks I have.
Maybe your skimmer is just very sensitive

[Afishianado]

I just blast mine out with the garden hose while holding them upside down, then let them dry out and reuse.

[Malifluous]

I soak mine is rubbing alcohol. Blast them with the hose and let dry. I hate the smell of bleach, the rubbing alcohol rinses away easily and evaporates quickly as well. There is no residual to worry about